Canoo presents electric pickup ready for 2023 delivery
The Californian start-up Canoo has unveiled an electric pickup truck that will be available for pre-order from the second quarter of 2021 and delivered from 2023. It will be available with either one or two electric motors and offer more than 200 miles (320 km) of range.
Canoo plans to offer the pickup with a rear-mounted motor or as an all-wheel-drive model – the latter will be capable of up to 440 kW. Canoo will publish more precise performance data at a later date. The range mentioned so far is only 200+ miles, i.e. more than 320 kilometres. The pickup will also be equipped with a trailer hitch, but the towing and drawbar loads have not yet been revealed. The company at least details a payload of 1,800 pounds, i.e. 816 kilograms.
The current announcement is more about the design of the pickup and some specific functions. The vehicle itself is immediately recognisable as a Canoo, the relationship to the minibus is great – even if the pickup is somewhat higher with large studded tyres and, of course, has a platform instead of a cabin as the most obvious feature from the middle of the vehicle.
The flatbed is supposed to be extendable. Normally, the loading area is 1.82 metres long, but it can be extended up to 2.60 metres. This means, that while the pickup is normally 4.68 metres long, it reaches 5.40 metres with the extension.
In this case, however, the load must be better secured, because the tailgate of the flatbed then serves as a side wall – the extended flatbed is open to the rear. Another feature of the flatbed is that the side walls can be folded down and then function as a workbench. In addition, there are to be modular room dividers for the cargo bed itself.
Although the Canoo pickup does not have a long front cover (but has an almost vertical front like the minibus), the designers have hidden a frunk: the black front panel between the headlights can be folded down to reveal a cargo compartment – suitable for tools or equipment, according to Canoo. Since the open flap can be extended to the right and left, this creates a work table with integrated power sockets.
In addition, the pickup, or rather the computer-generated image, has drawers in front of the rear wheels that can be used both as steps and for storage. There is also lighting for the loading area and a roof rack. A camper van attachment for the cargo area is also supposed to be possible. Then the pickup resembles the minibus again in silhouette – apart from the higher chassis, the spare wheel mounted at the rear and the roof tent.
Regarding the interior, Canoo hasn’t detailed any special functions. The vehicle is designed as a two-seater despite its 4.68-metre length. There are two full-size seats, and behind the rear doors, which open in opposite directions in i3 style, is a large storage compartment. A small bench seat can apparently be folded down here.
The pickup truck is the third model based on Canoo’s own skateboard platform to be presented, following a minibus and a multi-purpose delivery vehicle.
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